Patience and Patients
by Sky Rat
Summary: Will Solace didn't mean to get a crush on the most exasperating demigod he'd ever met. But once he started watching Nico di Angelo he couldn't turn away. The lines between intentions and feelings got blurred. But how do you tell if the guy you like feels the same way when he's never around? Nico x Will, Solangelo


Like so much of his life, it had started out as a medical thing—a mystery to solve—a project. He certainly hadn't _meant_ to develop a crush on the son of Hades. It was an accident. Being a son of Apollo, Will Solace was highly attuned to when people were in pain. And no one at Camp Half-Blood had a more persistent pain problem than Nico di Angelo. It was impossible for Will not to notice. It oozed off the kid in a nearly tangible miasma.

He couldn't help but feel inclined to try to help. It was his nature; he couldn't ignore his instinct to attempt to heal people any better than someone like Percy Jackson could have taken up permanent residence in a desert. He noticed and he wanted to _do something_ about it.

The problem was, Will had no idea _what_.

He didn't understand Nico di Angelo. There was no physical wound for him to fix. How anyone could feel that bad, that persistently, while in perfect health was baffling.

It's not that Will hadn't seen depressed kids at camp before. It was a hard state to avoid when one's very existence was a constant struggle just to stay alive. The ongoing monster attacks, the necessary separation from one's family, the lack of recognition from godly parents...well. There were few demigods that _hadn't_ struggled with depression at some point or other. It was a part of demigod life. But another part of demigod life was the tight-knit bond you formed with other demigods. The support structure at Camp Half-Blood was phenomenal. That seemed to carry most of the other campers through the bad spells.

Not so for Nico. If anything, the other camper's closeness just seemed to make him worse. Nico's mental state was on an entirely different plane than the others. And Will couldn't see any reason why. Nico was extremely capable. He was talented and had impressive control over his powers. He wasn't unattractive either. At a surface glance, he seemed like someone who was really going somewhere.

Well, technically he _was_ 'going somewhere'. That 'somewhere' being _away from camp_. Constantly.

It drove Will crazy.

He wasn't sure what it would take to fix an emotional injury of the caliber that Nico seemed to be sporting, but he was fairly certain that if there was an answer, avoiding other demigods wasn't it.

Nico's return visits to camp were getting sparser and sparser. And each time he reappeared he looked more haunted and gaunt. It was downright heartbreaking. Will didn't understand what could possibly be eating away at his fellow camper in such a destructive way, but he _wanted_ to.

So he asked around, finding out what the other demigods knew about Nico. He didn't learn much, only managing to gleam a bit of extra insight into the circumstances of his sister's death. He had heard about Bianca when it had happened, of course. But he hadn't talked to either of the Hades siblings much at the time. Her death had happened on a mission so the Apollo cabin had been uninvolved. And it had occurred so quickly after their arrival that he hadn't even been so much as introduced to either of them yet.

The average response Will's inquires seemed to get was '_Who? Oh that quiet guy? I have no idea, he's never talked to me._'

Percy had seemed like he knew the most, but he wasn't willing to share much. When Will had asked him an uncharacteristically guilty expression had slid across his face and he immediately looked uncomfortable.

"Nico's cool," was all he said.

Will secretly agreed.

Because he was now watching the son of Hades, during those rare times he was around to watch, and he liked what he saw. Nico was determined. And impressively independent. And he had a very subtle sense of humor that rarely showed, but Will had managed to coax out evidence of it in a few awkward conversations, when he succeeded in cornering the fleeting demigod.

At some point he noticed that he was scanning crowds in hopes of catching a glimpse of dark hair and dark eyes with matching dark circles, not because he wanted to help Nico, but just because he wanted more chances to talk to him. He actually _missed_ him when he wasn't around (which was unfortunately, most of the time.)

Was it possible to miss someone you hardly even knew?

Apparently, yes.

Camp Half-Blood felt a lot emptier when the son of Hades wasn't around.

Will started trying harder to engage the younger demigod when he did make the rounds to camp. Nico unfortunately wasn't very receptive. He was too lost in his own head to even notice that Will was reaching out. Invitations to join in group activities were awkwardly dismissed. Friendly greetings were cut short. Will would have taken it personally except he was all too aware that Nico treated everyone that way. He didn't understand why. Oh, he'd certainly heard Nico's excuses—there was no missing the fact that his not-quite-friend seemed to be under the impression that no one liked him (utter bull as far as Will was concerned) and that he didn't belong (even more ridiculous, really.) Will simply didn't _get_ it. At least half of Nico's problems seemed to be self-inflicted. Some days he just wanted to shake the guy until all of his insecurity and self-loathing dropped off. He knew that the Nico underneath was worthwhile. He knew that a fair number of other people would agree. Maybe not every single demigod at Camp Half-Blood (Nico's insecurity wasn't completely unfounded, he'd admit, he had seen some of the stares, heard some of the comments,) but certainly enough. If only Nico could see.

It was the Battle of Manhattan that made Will realize that his 'project' had long ago stopped being a 'project' and somehow turned into more of an infatuation. He'd gotten in too deep and spent too much time studying Nico; too much time mulling him over.

It was with great frustration that he'd gone into battle with nothing to offer beyond the role of medic. Sure, he knew that his healing skills were essential at a time like that. He knew what he was doing was _important_. But that didn't stop the pang of guilt he felt for not joining his friends on the front line. Other demigods were laying down their lives left and right, heroically attacking foes with nearly insurmountable power. And instead of defending them all he could do was scramble behind and do his best to pick up and repair the broken pieces. Will worked his hardest and fastest to keep the downed demigods alive, all the while wishing that he could be doing even more.

_Nico_ was doing more. In spite of being younger than most of the other demigods, Nico threw himself right into the thickest part of the melee. Even Will, who'd been paying closer attention to the son of Hades than most was surprised by just how powerful Nico had become. He watched in astonishment as whole swaths of Kronos's army were flattened by Nico's Underworld powers.

The most astonishing thing though wasn't Nico's control over the earth and the undead. It was how the heat of battle transformed him. Will had never seen Nico look so comfortable and confident before. The younger demigod was actually _smiling_ as he drew endless armies of bones up from the cracking earth. It was a good look on him. One Will wanted to be able to recreate without scores of bloodthirsty Titans and Giants having to be involved.

When most people would be reduced to their worst and most desperate, Nico was shining. And Will realized that he wasn't just impressed. He was _captivated_. So much that he narrowly missed getting hit by a flaming arrow in a moment of accidental staring. That close call had shaken him out of his distraction and he'd managed to stay focused for the rest of the battle, even more determined and on task than before, wanting to do justice in his own work to the valiant efforts of his allies. But the mental image of Nico's heroics didn't leave him as he tirelessly worked.

For a brief time, Will had thought that Nico's battle forged transformation might last; the glow of victory clung to him for the next several days. And he clearly wasn't the only one to notice, as the entire camp seemed friendlier and more inclusive towards Nico. Will's hopes that Nico might actually stay for good were briefly entertained as construction on a Hades cabin commenced.

Unfortunately the change didn't last. The glow began to fade almost as quickly as it had set in. Even with the newfound respect of the other campers, Nico didn't join in any group activities. He disappeared again before his cabin was even finished being built.

If watching Nico shut down and disappear had been difficult before, now it was a hundred times more unsettling. Now Will had really seen Nico's true potential, and the self-imposed denial of that potential just seemed all the more tragic.

Not to mention, now Will was painfully aware that he had a _crush_, and that was a bit of a problem.

Crushes weren't usually a problem for Will. He never agonized over them or worked himself up. If he liked someone he usually had no problem bluntly telling the person. If they liked him back, that was cool. If they didn't, then that just meant they weren't meant to be. He didn't stress over it too much.

He tried to imagine declaring his feelings to Camp Half-Blood's most part time member.

Yeah, like that would go over well.

Pretty much every scenario he could predict ended with Nico dramatically disappearing.

Asking Nico out was almost definitely a terrible idea. But the thing was, he couldn't just move on from his crush either, because he wasn't convinced that he didn't have a chance. Maybe he was just reading too much into things, but he really felt like something was _there_. As time passed, cornering Nico to talk was taking less and less effort. Nico seemed slightly less on edge around Will than around other campers. Sometimes he even laughed at Will's jokes.

Okay, so those things hardly amounted to a heartfelt love confession, but really, from a guy like Nico it was certainly _something_.

If only Nico would actually acknowledge it.

His mantra of 'I don't have friends' really began to grate on Will. What did that make him, anyway? Chopped liver? _No, you don't have friends. Just admirers waiting around for you to deem them worthy of bestowing your friendship upon._

The desire to violently shake Nico only intensified. Along with Will's feelings.

It was exasperating.

So Will didn't dismiss his crush. He just acknowledged to himself that he couldn't go about it in his usual way. Nico would require a degree of carefulness that he didn't usually bother with. It was going to take longer. He could handle that; Will was patient. He needed to more thoroughly break down that friendship wall first.

Easier said than done.

How was he supposed to prove to Nico that they were friends, when Nico kept running off and doing crazy things like plunging into Tartarus and getting kidnapped by Giants? Will wanted to run off and try to help every time he heard word of such a turn of events. But his responsibilities as a counselor kept him chained to Camp Half-Blood. And the prophecies never seemed to have anything to do with him. There was never a shortage of 'chosen ones' that Chiron thought better suited to go on the quests. All Will could do was stay behind and try not to go insane waiting for word that everyone was okay. He'd already seen too many of his friends from camp go off and not return. Sometimes it felt like only a matter of time before Nico would inevitably join their fallen ranks.

_Exasperating_.

And then the dreams started.

Well, dream, singular, really. Will kept having the same one over and over again.

It wasn't a very complex dream. Will actually wished that is was—he needed more information. He needed it to give him a clue of how to stop what he saw happening. But there were no details. Just him and Nico—Nico actually _smiling_ at him. The look on his face confirming Will's suspicions: that he wasn't totally crazy thinking there was something there. That maybe the way he felt wasn't entirely unreciprocated. He _did_ have a chance if he didn't screw everything up. And then Nico reaching out towards him. A moment of genuine happiness—it always started as such a _nice_ dream—only for that feeling to dissolve into horror as Nico's fingers failed to connect with his. Over and over again he'd watch as Nico's hand lost substance, phasing right through his own outstretched fingers and dispersing into _nothingness_. A brief flash of resignation across Nico's fading features. And then no Nico. Just a very strong sense of _permanence_. He was watching Nico disappear forever, and Nico didn't fight it.

He'd wake up in a panic, only for the distress to twist around until Will's primary emotion was anger.

How could Nico just let himself burn out like that and not do anything to stop it?

How could he just give up?

Was his dream-vision an unchangeable future, or something he could prevent?

Where the heck was Nico, anyway? He hadn't seen him in months.

Would it kill the guy to send an occasional Iris-message?

Or a postcard even?

He knew he shouldn't take Nico's absence too personally. There _was_ another war brewing. Will himself was pretty busy at camp, working hard to stockpile remedies. The Apollo cabin had their work cut out for them: brewing tinctures, grinding unicorn horns into powder for draughts, preparing bandages and ambrosia. Everyone was busy.

And then—yikes—the war wasn't just brewing, it was _there_. And Will didn't have time to fret about dreams and what they may or may not mean because Camp Half-Blood was surrounded by Romans and it was looking more and more certain like those Romans were going to wipe their camp off the map. He wasn't so sure he'd even live long enough to see Nico again and sort out if his nightmares had actually meant anything or not.

So maybe he wasn't quite as good of an archer as Michael Yew had been, but Will was still ready to fight. He threw himself into the preparations and negotiations and didn't hesitate to volunteer when missions were discussed. And much as he was glad to be active in the resistance, he was even gladder when he got called in to the infirmary, because that's where he knew he could make the biggest impact: healing was were he excelled.

Okay, so maybe part of his lifted spirits wasn't due to his talents being required. Maybe it had something to do with Gleeson Hedge standing in the infirmary. Coach Hedge was pretty focused on his wife and her labor, but he still managed to drop a comment or two about the mission he was returning from. The mission and just whom he'd been on that mission _with_.

Nico was alive.

And possibly coming _back_.

That thought carried Will through the harrowing delivery. He was still thinking of it as he ran around the camp perimeter, scouting the enemy lines. And he was definitely thinking of it when he ran into someone who was very far from an enemy.

Seeing Nico was almost too good to be true. Will darkly wondered if it actually _was_ too good to be true. Maybe he was just imagining seeing him, his brain projecting what it wanted to see in the delirious high left over from surviving his first baby delivery. Maybe all he was seeing was an after image of someone who'd already lost his physical substance. And maybe immediately grabbing Nico's hands hadn't been the smoothest move he'd ever made, but Will just had to be sure. He needed confirmation that Nico hadn't dissolved.

And what he felt terrified him.

Nico's hands were still solid—mostly. But there was something cold and nebulous there. Will could feel it throbbing beneath Nico's skin like a second pulse.

He didn't want to let go when Nico jerked his hands away.

He tried not to feel hurt. He dealt with his hurt and worry the way he dealt with most things. He switched into doctor mode. People generally listened to him when he could hide behind his medical expertise. The respect his training in healing garnered him bolstered his confidence and lent him an assuredness that he didn't always feel otherwise.

He made it _very_ clear that Nico couldn't keep using his Underworld powers. _Doctor's orders_. It was the most urgent and authoritative thing he had to offer.

Well, okay. So most people would have listened to him. Nico wasn't listening. Not really. Will could tell that if Nico thought it was for the best, he'd disregard Will's instructions and gamble with his life in order to accomplish his goals. He tried not to let it show how much that scared him. He probably wasn't doing his best at keeping his feelings under wrap. He was a jittery wreck.

And then, as if it were nothing at all, Nico had dropped the news that he was planning on leaving _forever_. Will felt like one of his cabin-mates had just used his chest for target practice. For a moment his mission was completely forgotten. Octavian and the other Romans completely faded into the background.

At that moment he didn't care about the catapults, or Gaea. All he cared about was finding out _why_. How could Nico possibly be able to turn his back on all his friends? On _Will_? And of course Nico's response was predictably idiotic. Will lost his temper a bit. It felt good to finally say to Nico exactly what he'd been thinking for quite a while. It felt good to watch Nico's scowl flicker as he absorbed Will's tirade. He could tell that his words had gotten to him a little. Maybe not enough to change Nico's mind but he'd definitely put a chink in Nico's shield of delusion. He regretted the fact that they were in a warzone with voyeurs; if he'd had Nico alone he would have said a lot more. But he held himself back, knowing instinctively that saying too much in front of others would upset Nico more than get through to him.

Luckily the battle was culminating to a point where the tides turned before Nico could get out of his sight and unnecessarily throw his life away. Just barely.

Will stayed on edge throughout the aftermath. There were too many medical emergencies for him to be able to relax in the fact that the war was over and they'd actually won. He couldn't shirk his responsibilities in order to trail after Nico and keep an eye on his friend, making sure he didn't do anything stupid that would compromise his health. He wanted to make sure that Nico wouldn't vanish, be it simply from camp or entirely from life. But he was trapped in the infirmary.

Will tried to convince himself that Nico wouldn't do anything too risky now that the enemy had been defeated, but he couldn't believe it with real conviction. He also tried to convince himself that Nico wouldn't leave without at least saying goodbye. He couldn't convince himself of that either.

The relentlessly optimistic side of his brain kept expecting Nico to stop by and see him.

There were no more missions now. Nico didn't have an excuse to leave camp, or anything immediate he'd have to do. And maybe Will was just projecting too much but he'd kind of gotten the impression that Nico had been glad to see him on the battlefield. He'd certainly been glad to see _Nico_. He'd thought he'd felt a spark of mutual understanding there.

Or maybe he'd just been going crazy from the adrenaline rush of their lives being on the line.

There was no way for him to know without actually seeing Nico. Which apparently Nico wasn't planning on accommodating.

He found he was increasingly gritting his teeth as he worked.

And so, he couldn't really stop himself from snapping a bit the first time the elusive demigod finally crossed his view. He was hurt. And also relieved; he hadn't even been sure if Nico was still at camp.

He was _so glad_ Nico was still at camp.

And Nico...seemed different.

Will's irritation faded quickly as Nico reacted to his complaints more with confusion than resistance. Was it really so impossible for him to comprehend that Will wanted to see him? Did he have to give Nico an engraved invitation?

Apparently, yes, that was practically the level of subtlety he'd have to aim for to get through to him.

So he did the next best thing and ordered Nico to stay in the infirmary for three days, knowing it was obviously unnecessary. Yeah, Nico needed the rest, but twenty-four hour surveillance was hardly essential. He was already looking better in the short time since the battle ended. Nico would be able to guess that he was only ordering it to get some time with him, but hey, that was sort of the point. He _wanted_ Nico to notice.

He'd expected resistance, but Nico _agreed_.

He tried to remain nonchalant and not let it show how giddy that made him.

He also tried not to let it get to him that Nico then immediately made eye contact with Percy Jackson and ran off.

It did get to him.

But only a little. Nico had sworn on the River Styx to come back. And he'd said he was staying. So Will could finally relax and stop worrying that he might never see him again. What's more, the gravity of Nico's promise meant he cared what Will thought. Oaths on the River Styx weren't something most campers lightly threw around; for a promise as small as the one Nico had just made, it was almost unheard of.

Will smiled faintly to himself while he leaned against the doorframe, waiting for Nico to return.

True to word, Nico was only gone for a few minutes. And he seemed like he was standing a bit taller as he strode back. He shot Will an awkward grin as he entered the cabin.

"What was that about?" Will couldn't help asking.

"Nothing important." Nico shrugged. "Just had to clear a few things up."

Will raised an eyebrow but Nico didn't elaborate.

He led Nico to an unoccupied bed, deliberately choosing one that he'd be able to easily keep an eye on at all times. Nico didn't complain. Nico also didn't complain as Will fussed about him, taking his temperature and other vitals.

Will made sure to check Nico's vitals a lot more frequently than was standard procedure. Nico didn't complain about that either. He was impressively tolerant of the excessive fussing.

...Up to a point.

"Um, Will."

In the middle of the second day of 'rest' Nico finally spoke up.

"Yeah?" asked Will.

"You're holding my hand."

"Yes," Will confirmed. "For medical reasons."

"For medical reasons?" Nico asked skeptically. "All you're doing is just holding it."

"I'm trying to gauge how stable you are," explained Will. "Out on the field I could feel the darkness inside you. I could feel how close you were to unraveling. It's receding a bit but you're not out of the danger zone yet. It's still not safe to use your powers yet."

"You've been holding it for twenty minutes," said Nico dryly. "It took you that long to figure that out?"

"I like to be very thorough."

"...You're still holding it."

Will coughed. "Yes. Can't be too careful. Does that bother you?"

Nico took a long time to reply. His eyes turned apprehensive as he scanned Will's face.

"No," he finally said.

Will let out a breath he hadn't even noticed he was holding. "Good," he said, tightening his grip on Nico's hand.

Nico faintly squeezed his hand back and a slow smile spread across Will's face. Nico didn't see it though. His eyes were riveted to their entwined fingers. A hint of a blush stained his cheeks. Will's smile crept into a grin as he noticed.

_He had definitely not been imagining that something was there._

"I'm really glad you're staying," said Will easily.

"Yeah, I guess I am too," Nico admitted. His eyes darted up to Will's face for a second, but didn't stay there. "There were lots of reasons to stay. I've got a lot of work to do. They need me here."

"Absolutely," Will agreed. "Though don't overwork yourself right away. You're going to need a lot more than just three days of rest. And I hope you don't make yourself so busy that you don't have time to hang out with me."

Nico snorted. It was not quite the reaction Will had been expecting.

"What?" asked Will, his building confidence suddenly wavering.

"Hang out?" Nico repeated. "That's not a phrase that belongs in the same sentence with me. I'm not someone people want to hang out with. You don't have to babysit me, you know. I won't do any shadow traveling until you say it's okay."

"Are you serious?" asked Will.

Now it was Nico's turn to go, "What?"

"Are you seriously assuming I don't want to hang out with you?" Will asked. "I'm sitting here holding your hand and you're assuming I don't want to hang out with you."

"You just said that was for medical reasons."

"I thought you were over that whole being dense thing, but I guess I was wrong,"

"Well you're clearly not over being condescending," Nico snapped, pulling his hand away from Will's.

Will had to restrain himself from grabbing it back.

"I'm not _trying_ to be," he said, doing his best to keep his voice low. "It's just very hard not to be though when you're so deliberately obtuse. Why can't you _believe_ it when people say that they like you?"

"Because no one has ever..." Nico trailed off, his eyebrows shooting up. It would have been comical if Will's nerves weren't so tied up over Nico's reaction. "Wait," he said. "Did _you_ just say you like me?"

"Duh," said Will.

They stared at each other awkwardly for several very long feeling seconds. Nico's gaze was hard and scrutinizing.

Nico leaned forward, and for a ridiculously deluded moment Will thought maybe he was going to kiss him. But no, he should have known better. Nico just didn't want anyone else in the cabin to be able to hear the rest of their conversation.

"The word 'like' has several different connotations," he said in a nearly inaudible whisper. "You might want to be careful throwing that word around, you know?"

"I'm aware of its different connotations," Will answered seriously. "I meant them all."

"Oh."

"Does that clear things up for you?" Will asked.

Nico shook his head. "Not really. But I'd rather not have this conversation here. There are too many people around."

Will had almost entirely stopped noticing the other campers present. He was less bothered by the potential audience (hardly anyone was paying attention to them anyway, his Apollo siblings were all fairly busy and the patients for the most part were pretty out of it,) but Nico had a point and he respected it.

"We can talk about it later," Will conceded. "So that's a promise that you'll actually hang out with me, after I discharge you? At least long enough to finish this conversation?"

Nico nodded.

"Great." Will smiled. He leaned back in, his face nearly brushing against Nico's ear. He watched Nico go very still and tense. "I'll consider it a date."

Nico's blush came back, more vivid than before. He stared at Will wide-eyed. Will tried not to get too nervous as he waited for Nico to say something.

"Y-yeah," Nico finally said. "Okay."

Will couldn't stop grinning for the rest of the day, and Nico didn't exactly look unhappy either. He could now feel Nico's eyes following him around the room as he worked. It made him feel giddy and he wasn't quite sure how much of the tumultuous feeling was happiness and how much was nerves. The last day of Nico's bed rest felt ten times longer than the first one. It no longer seemed like such a good idea to have chained him to the infirmary for such a long time. Will had been quite pleased with the move in the beginning, but now he just _really_ wanted to get Nico alone.

When the time finally came Nico held out his hand without Will even having to ask. Will inspected it carefully.

"You still shouldn't use your Underworld powers for at least a week," he said seriously. "But I think the immediate danger of you fading away has passed. If you promise to keep resting I can let you go."

Nico nodded but didn't immediately say anything. He was clearly waiting for Will to make the next move.

"There's a few things I need to wrap up here, but then I can probably sneak out. Want to take a walk down to the lake?"

"Um, sure. Okay." Nico nodded again and slid off the bed. He stretched (and Will stared appreciatively) and then began to walk towards the door.

Will was gripped by a sudden panicky feeling that Nico was about to walk out and disappear forever. He knew it was irrational—Nico had already proved that he intended to stick around, he'd had plenty of chances already to leave and he hadn't—not to mention he'd promised to hang out and Will believed him. But still. No one had quite recovered from the stress of the so newly ended war yet. And while Nico might be on the road to recovery, he wasn't out of the woods completely. The threat of him being consumed by darkness was still present, just reduced. What if something happened which forced him to overload his powers? Will hated to let him out of his sight with his previous day's confession still unresolved.

"You know what?" He quickly added. "I can probably take off now. Just a sec."

He dashed across the room, yanking off the scrubs top he'd had on while working and pulling out one of his regular T-shirts. "Hey Cecil!" he yelled, the yell slightly muffled by the fabric of his shirt sliding over his head as he pulled it on. "I have to duck out for a bit! Cover for me!"

"What?" Cecil didn't sound very happy about Will's pronouncement. "Wait, Will, you can't just—"

Will was out the door before Cecil could finish objecting. He slung his arm around Nico's shoulders and began steering him towards the lake. He felt Nico tense slightly at the initial contact, but Nico didn't push him off. Better yet, he felt him eventually relax again as they walked.

"I thought you were too rule-bound to pull a stunt like that," Nico observed.

"I'm capable of compromising under dire circumstances," said Will.

"And these are dire circumstances?" asked Nico skeptically.

"Very dire," agreed Will.

"Do elaborate."

"Well, I'm a bit distracted right now by the need to finish an earlier conversation we'd started. It's not good to give medical attention to people when you're distracted. It's in everyone's best interest that I take a break."

"I…see," said Nico.

"So, anyway," continued Will, "I'm really not sure where you got this idea that people don't like you but—"

"I got the idea when people flat out said so to my face," interrupted Nico. "Over and over again."

Will frowned. "I hope you're exaggerating."

"I'm not."

"Well whoever said that is an idiot and crazy," said Will. "And you shouldn't extrapolate from crazy people's opinions and assume everyone else feels that way too. Because they don't. _I_ don't. I really like you a lot, Nico."

Nico stopped walking. "Look, Will—" he sighed loudly and ran a hand through his disheveled locks. "It's really nice of you to say that but—"

"You don't like me?" Will asked dejectedly.

"What? No. That's not what I was about to say."

"So you _do_ like me," Will concluded, his confidence bolstering a bit.

"Like you even need to ask that," muttered Nico, flushing again.

"Yeah, I _do_ need to ask," countered Will. "I'd _thought_ you did, but lately it's seemed like you were outright avoiding me."

"I just spent three straight days living in your cabin," said Nico. "That's hardly avoiding you."

"You were avoiding me before that."

"That was because…well, because, I couldn't believe that—I mean I didn't want to go through—um. Well, I can't help suspecting that you're just being nice to me to…fix me or something."

"_Never_," said Will, automatically. He was appalled that Nico had even thought that. Well, okay, sure. He could see why Nico would think that a little. At one point he might have thought the word 'fix' in regard to Nico—before he'd known him well. But he wouldn't have faked a friendship and even deeper feelings towards him just to accomplish that. "First of all, I wouldn't do something like that," he said quickly. "And second of all, I wouldn't _need_ to. You don't need to be 'fixed.' There's nothing to fix."

Nico made a loud scoffing noise.

"No, I'm being serious," said Will. "I'll admit you seemed really unstable for a long time. But you've been different since the war ended. You seem better. Not physically better, mind you, you've been in a worse state than I've ever seen before—I'm still really concerned about the fading thing. But emotionally? It wouldn't take a doctor to notice how much better you've been. I can't take credit for any of that. Whatever you needed to fix, it looks to me like you already worked it out. And I'm really glad. I'd been worried about you."

"It's your job to worry about people." Nico's words were dismissive but his voice betrayed a hint of uncertainty. He stepped back and crossed his arms over his chest, regarding Will nervously.

"Yes, well," Will countered, trying not to let Nico's resistance break his nerve. "It's true I worry a lot about a lot of people. But you've been getting a disproportionate share of it. And it's not my job to want to kiss people, is it? And whether or not you'll let me do that is one of the things I've been worrying about. So." He shrugged and put his hands out disarmingly. He kind of felt like he'd just taunted a wild animal. Things were either about to go really well or completely to hell. He sure hoped he hadn't misjudged Nico's feelings.

He stared into Nico's rapidly widening, very brown, very vulnerable eyes. He _really_ hoped things were about to go the former way and not the latter. He wanted to kiss Nico so badly right now that he thought he might lose his mind.

"Seriously?" was all Nico managed to choke out.

"I thought I'd been kind of blatant about that. Do you need me to take out an ad in the newspaper before you'll believe me?" Will asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Don't even joke about that."

"I won't if you let me know what you think about it."

"I, um, wouldn't mind. That idea." Nico said quickly. He glanced about to see if they were alone. There were campers down at the lake, dragging canoes about and playing games. They weren't in close range but where Will and Nico stood was hardly private either.

_Crud,_ thought Will, _should have picked somewhere else to take that walk. Way to not think, Will._

Nico jammed his hands in his pockets, still staring at the distant potential voyeurs. Suddenly he straightened. He was smiling as he turned back to Will. "Yeah," he continued. "If you really seriously mean that you want—"

Will's lips were on his before he could finish. And Will could tell from the way Nico was leaning into him and his arms were tightly wrapping around him that he most certainly didn't mind.

Nico's mouth was disconcertingly cool. It wasn't exactly a surprise; Will had touched Nico enough times before, he'd even taken his temperature enough to know that Nico's was always unnaturally low. But exploring his lips was a very different experience from casually touching hands. Kissing Nico felt different than how he would have expected, and Will liked that. He wanted to get very familiar with the sensation.

Nico was grinning when they broke apart.

"So I've got another idea," Will said, his own grin spreading to match Nico's. "And it involves you going out with me. I wouldn't mind getting your thoughts on that. What do you say?"

"I think you should actually ask me instead of just theorizing about it," said Nico.

Will laughed. "Okay," he agreed. "Wanna go out?"

Nico's grin stretched so wide that he was almost unrecognizable from the sullen boy that Will had gotten used to. "Yeah." He wasted no time in answering. "That'd be cool."

"Awesome." Will beamed at Nico and threaded their fingers together. In spite of the positive reaction he'd gotten thus far, he still half expected Nico to pull his hand away. He didn't. Simply holding hands in public might have been something most people would take for granted, especially with a newly established relationship, but the significance wasn't lost on Will. He knew how skittish Nico was about physical contact. That Nico already felt comfortable enough with him to let him touch him so much flooded Will with warmth.

"Is this also for medical reasons?" Nico asked with a smirk, nodding his head towards their hands.

"Nope."

"Good."

They finished walking the rest of the way to the lake and sat down on an overturned canoe. Nico kept his grasp on Will's hand, even when they came into close range of the other campers. Most people didn't even notice them but they did get a curious stare or two. Nico returned the errant looks with challenging glares.

They sat in companionable silence for a few minutes, staring out at the water.

"Where were you planning on going if you'd left camp for good?" Will broke the silence with a question that had been bothering him for the past few days. He knew that Nico didn't have a mortal home to return to if he left Camp Half-Blood's protection. It wasn't like Will, who had a mom and a comfortable house to fall back on when he left Long Island.

Nico shrugged. "Anywhere. The Underworld, mostly." He said it casually, like 'The Underworld' was the most normal answer in the world.

"Do you like it better there than up here?" Will asked. It was pretty difficult for Will to comprehend _anyone_ preferring The Underworld to living above ground—the very thought of being stuck down there made him feel pretty depressed. Of course, Will knew he was a bit more biased towards sunlight than your average person—whereas if anyone _would_ find the Underworld preferable, Nico would certainly be the one. But still. Imagining Nico permanently confined to his dad's domain, completely cut off from fresh air and light and other living people bothered Will. Nico might be better adapted to that environment than others, but that didn't mean it was actually healthy for him to spend all his time like that. Will felt pretty strongly on that matter. He was prepared to argue with Nico if he disagreed.

Nico took a while to think about it before answering. "I feel like I belong down there," he said. "I like that about it. It's less stressful. But otherwise, no. It's also fairly boring."

"You belong here too," Will said automatically. He was both relieved by Nico's answer and saddened. He wished Nico didn't feel quite so adamant that he was an outcast. It didn't seem to matter how many times he refuted the claim, he could never get the point entirely through to him.

Nico snorted. "Of course you'd say that."

"Because it's _true_," insisted Will.

"That hasn't been my past experience," said Nico. "But who knows. I'm giving it another try. Maybe things will be different." He turned away from the water and shot Will a nervous smile.

Will ran his thumb over Nico's knuckle and squeezed his hand. "I think it will be."

"You have an optimism problem."

"I can think of worse problems to have."

"That's entirely a matter of opinion."

"My opinions are usually right," Will said confidently.

"I beg to disagree." Nico shoved Will with his elbow. "Your opinions are usually just strong. That's all. You mistake conviction for accuracy. You're just stubborn."

"You shouldn't disagree," Will said, unperturbed by the insult. "I'm impeccably accurate. For example, I have the strong opinion that you are extremely awesome. Don't you dare try to argue with me."

"I could very easily argue that," said Nico quietly. "I don't really understand why you think so."

"I'd say, 'are you blind?' but I know you're not 'cause I checked you out myself." Will snorted. "Where do you want me to start? You're only one of the smartest people I've ever met. And crazy brave. And totally hot. I can't believe someone as amazing as you likes me."

Nico was staring at his knees, his overgrown hair falling into his eyes. It wasn't long enough though to completely hide the blush spreading across his cheeks. "Shut up," he muttered. "I'm not. You don't have to make things up like that. I already said yes. Both to you and to staying. You don't have to convince me of anything."

"I'm not trying to convince you of anything." Will leaned back. The sunbaked metal of the canoe was hot against the backs of his arms. He shifted his weight so that he could wrap one around Nico. The smaller demigod leaned into the casual embrace. "Just telling it like it is."

Although he was staring out at the broken sunlight glimmering on the lake he could feel Nico's eyes on him. He slowly dropped his gaze down to meet them.

"You're actually serious," Nico muttered with a shake of his head.

"Always." Will smiled affectionately at him.

"You're crazy," sighed Nico. "But I guess that's a good thing." He looked up at Will appreciatively. "And you're not so bad yourself, you know."

"Well, duh." Will's smile crept back into a grin. "I have to agree with you wholeheartedly there." He laughed. "You have excellent taste."

Nico lightly socked Will in the bicep. "Dork."

"You're gonna have to come up with a better nickname for me than that, Death Boy."

"What would you rather me call you? Nurse?" Nico snickered.

Now it was Will's turn to feel his cheeks reddening. That had definitely backfired. "No!" he said, unable to think of a good retort fast enough. "Shut up."

"Okay," Nico agreed. He yanked Will towards him and met his lips.

Will closed his eyes and returned the kiss.

Pretty much everyone who had been down at the lake was staring at them now. But neither Will nor Nico even noticed. They didn't notice anyone except each other for the rest of the afternoon.

_The End_


End file.
